Venetian blind



March 28, 1939. w WADE ET AL 2,152,117

- VENETIAN BLIND Filed Jari. 28, 1937 T Vj/ihfialn Wade and Edwi/n/ Nari/b INVENTORS.

THE/B ATTORNEY.

Patented 2a, 1939 s PATENT o FTcE Q VENETIAN nnmlo William Wade, Chicago, and Edwin North, Bock- .ford, IlL, assignors to-National liock Corny,

Rockford. IlL, a corporation oi Delaware Application January 2a. 1937; Serial No. 122.795 7 Claims. (01. 156-17) This invention relates to Venetian blinds and especially to means for attaching the blind slats to their suspending elements.

Particularly stated, it is, an important object of the invention to provide an improved means for attaching blind slats to supporting chains in the so-called chain-tape type of blind.

A further object is the provision ofa clip having formations engageable with a blind slat for removable attachment to the same, and having an attaching loop supportably and pivotally engagingasuspending chain and at the same time guiding a diflerent or operating chain from the top to the bottom of the blind.

Other novel features of the invention will appear as the -following detailed description proceeds in view of the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a chain-tape Venetian blind utilizing the novel clip means;

2 is an enlarged perspective of a clip, chains, and fragment of a slat;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; I a

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom plan of the clip, engaged witha slat and having the chains in section, the view being taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3; while Fig. '5 is a bottom perspective view of a modified form of the clip.

,ln applicants co-p'ending application Serial No. 122,793, filed January 28, 1937, a chain-tape type of Venetian blind is described in detail, such blind being shown in part in Fig. 1 herein.

.7 The blind includes aplurality of slats m suspended in spaced relation from a carriage i2 by means of chains or like flexible members it, the carriage being extended between brackets, such as bracket it, which are secured in the upper corner portions of a window casing It.

In the type of blind. described in our co-pending case mentioned above; the flexible supporting andcontrol elements or chains are provided in pairs "on opposite sides of the slats. Such a pair is illustrated herein in Figs-2 and 3 and includes a front chain M, which is in fact a supporting chain since it is attached to each ofthe slats,

' and a rear-or inner chain M, which may be called a control chain for convenience.

At their respective lowermost ends 55 and 65, each of the chains 14 and I4 is connected to the lowermost slat it by a cleat ll. The chains M I pass over roller means 53 in carriage i2 and into a pivoted roller housing 20 from which they issue to connect with a common pull-chain 22. I

The means for attaching chains M to each of the slats Ill is the clip and link shown in perspec tive in Fig. 2. a

The clip comprises an elongated resilient metal strip bent back upon itself in substantial U-shape to form the clip member, the upper longitudinal end portionof which is bent outwardly to provide a lip 2%,- while the body portion of the strip near the. lowerlongitudinal extremity of the strip is crimped inwardly to provide a locking hump 28.

The end of the clip adjacent hump 28 is bent out slightly to provide a lower lip 3t.

- As seen in Fig. 4, the link comprises a looped wire 32 passed through the hlght portion 34 of clip 24 and having its free end portions 36 passed 1 through the open part of one of the links of l4 and thereafter bent back upon themselves, thus securing the link 32 to chains" M.

Each of the slats ii? is provided in its bottom portion with a slot 48 dimensioned generally to receive the locking hump 28 of clip 24 and prevent the casual removal of the latter from the slat when the clipsare attached to their respective slats as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. v

The resiliency of the stock from which clips 24 are stamped or formed is adequate to urge the respective clip portions and lips 28 and 3!? toward each other, and in applying the clip and its link or loop 32 to a slat ill, the clip and lips 26-33 thereof are urged against the edge of the slat at a point opposites slot at, whereupon the and lips of the clip spread and the-same slidw readily onto the slat with the hump 28 snapping into its slot All. Thereafter the clip cannot he accidentally disengaged from the slat, but can be removed only by bending the lower arm. of the clip to move the hump out of its slot or depression It is to be observed that the inner chains are not attached to each slat is, but to: the lower slat H and at their upper end-sic t e earriage 52. However, the are dime to have their loop 32' adequate to receive the inner chains M, the latte passing through each loop portion 32 of each link as they extend from the bottom slat ii up to the carriage l2. Thus the inner chains H are guided between the bight a clip the flared free ends of the lint; 32 in loop 32' thereof;

The reason ion the foregoing arrangement is that the carriage I2 is adapted to pivot about its long axis between its brackets l5 by manually operable means described in our app ication mentioned above, and inso doing the chains 54,

being each attached to the edge of each slat l0, riseon one side of the carriage and descend on the opposite side corresponding to the pivotation of the carriage and? the movement of its side edge portions. This movement of chains Iii likewise causes one side (edge) of each slat Ill to rise and the opposite side -(edge) to fall, and the several slats therefore pivot about their respective long axis and open and close like a louver type shutter.

Operation of the pull-chain22 will result in the raising of chains It which are attached to the bottommost slat II, while chains Id tend to remain stationary, so that inner chains It move freely upward guided within loops 32' of links 32. This ultimately effects a lifting of slat il against the intermediate slats iii and nests the latter up-. wardly in a direction against the carriage, corresponding to a raising of the blind.

The modified form of chp seen in Fig. 5 comprises a wire-like member bent back upon itself to form a first or end bight portion 45. Between this bight and the free ends of the wire a second or intermediate bend or bight 46 is formed in both side extensions provided by the formation of the flrst bend, and the latter being in a plane 'at substantially right angles to the planes of the second bight formations.

The wire is thus formed into a hook having an end 45, an intermediate bight 46 and spaced side extensions 41 eachhaving their outermost or endmost extremities bent back upon themselves to form attaching hooks or claws 48.

In use, the modified clip isattached to a slat Ill having spaced openings generally indicated at is formed therein adjacent 'its longitudinal edge portions.

By making the clip of spring stock, the preformed hook portions 48 may be guided into holes it so that the hook or bight portion 45 closely overlies or presses against a face of the slat II) as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon one of the attaching loops 32 may be slipped between the bight part: 45 of the clip and the slat so as to lie between the intermediate bight portions 46 and theedge of the slat.

When the wire stock is notsprinsy. the endmost portions of'the hook ends 48 of the clip may be bent over onto the face of the slat after they are inserted in holes 49 therein.

It will therefore appear that we have provided a simple -yet rugged and highly, useful clip means for blind structures, and while we have described a; preferred form of the clip for purposes of illustration, the simple device may be variously formed and modifledwithout departing from the spirit and intent of the invention, and we do not intend to bellmited to the precise details recited but desire to avail ourselves of all variations,

modifications, and combinations of the invention, asdeflned in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by-Letters' Batent is: I r

l.-A clip comprising a U-shaped member con structed of springy material and having lip portions formed at its free ends and an inwardly directed hump formed adjacent one lip' portion, together with an attaching member mount'edfllnthe bight portion of the clip, said attaching member being attached to supporting means and said clip being engaged with ansupportedmember,

said supported member having arecess in which said hump is disposed whereby to provide a releasable detent means for securing the clip and supported member in engagement as aforesaid.

arcane 2. Slat-engaging means for Venetian blinds of the including slat-supporting chains, said means comprising a U-shapedclip having free end portions bent voutwardly to form lips, said clip being slid onto the edge of a slat for supporting engagement therewith, said clip further having an inwardly projected part constituting a detent disposed between the bight portion and one of said lips in a leg of the U, together with a chain-engaging link in the form of a loop passing around the bight portion of the clip andhaving free end portions extended through a link in one of said supporting chains for attachment of the loop and clip to the latter, said slat having a formation in which said detent is received when said clip and slat are in assembled relation.

3. In Venetian blinds having slats supportably attached to flexible members, slat attaching means comprising a clip in the form of an elongated body member bent back in a direction upon itself and having its free end portions flared outwardly to form lips and having an inwardly directed hump formed near a said lip, said slats having hump-receiving, slots formed near an edge thereof and said clips being fltted' over a said edge onto said slat with the said hump urged into a said hump-receiving slot, said clip being attached to a said flexible element by means of a. wire-like link looped around the bight portion of said clip and having free end portions passed through said flexible element and bent back upon themselves to prevent disengagement from the flexible'member. V a

4. In blinds having movable slats and elongated flexible elements in pairs for support and movement control of said slats, slat attaching means comprising aclip in the form of an elongated flexible body bent back upon itself and having a hump formed near one peen end por-' tion, said slats having hump-receiving slots formed therein near an edge portion thereof, said clips being fitted over said edge portion onto 'said slat and said hump being engaged with said hump-receiving formation, said clip being attached to one of said pair of flexible elements by means of a wire-like link looped around the main body bend of said clip and having free end portions passed through said flexible element so as to leave an open eye portion between said clip and said flexible element, said free end portions last-mentioned'being bent to prevent disengagement of said link from said flexible element, and

the other flexible element of said pair bein passed through said open eye portion.

5. A supporting clip for attaching a Venetian blind slat to supporting elements, said clip comprising a wire bent back upon itself in U-shape to form an end bight, and again bent back upon itself in the form of a hook with an intermediate bight between said end bight and the free end portions thereof, said free end portions being inserted through said slat adjacent a longitudinal edge thereof and bent over onto the slat to preventremoval therefrom, with the said inter- -mediate bight portion of said hook formation spaced from said edge of the'slat to receive an attaching loop member, and said clip having its end bight closely overlying the surface of said slat onto which 'said free end portions are bent.,

6 Attaching means for mounting a slat-be- "tween spaced flexible slat supporting elements in Venetian blinds and the'like, said means comprising a substantially U-shaped cup of springy material having oppositely disposed free end portions curved divergently to provide engaging clip-means for removably lips adapted to slide ems the slat, one arm of said clip hefireg en extending hump placer? substantially sie e to me lip portion on said arm, said 51% providezf. with slightly recessed formations esieeen an edge portion thereof and sei clip being Eel-sea onto saia slat over said edge said hump portion of each clip being flunk? er.- gag'ed in one'of said recessed portions in the slat, whereby saidclips are against accidental dislodgement. and loop means passed through the bight portion of each of said ciim and attached to one of the flexible mounting eiements for the purpose atoresaiel,

7. In e'venetien biinfi oi the type including slat-supporting members we a piuraliky o! slats. attaching said slats ix:

7 mean? A eiee eerien of? e portion, the sfere=- ing a detent-receivirzaezele lament the edges ehereei onto e *eia the sale summing e32; mg: as @fimgeai c2132 lee-" ees e5 having eu'mesfie slegs of ihe U em m gireeteil W the lip and the hirhi. s. were, i said siees with; Fee the eciges 05 %he 325%, am? eefi femei the fitted and into which ene 92 eeifi siemze= tions is receives: when fire c225: is aiteeL-kui aforeseici, enfi mea e- Ear etteehme tosaie supportingmeme.w V 

